Profiled elements, such as steel rods, can be used in numerous applications, e.g., to reinforce concrete. Typically, profiled elements are fabricated in extended lengths, such as up to about 72 feet, bundled and shipped to a processing location. Upon arrival at the processing location, the profiled elements are formed and cut to the desired shape and length and provided to the final destination, such as a construction project.
The profiled element processor is typically able to process a single profiled element or a small number of profiled elements in an operation. In order to process the profiled element(s), they must be separated from the bundle of profiled elements. Unfortunately, the profiled elements within the bundle can become tangled, similar to spaghetti, making it difficult to extract a single profiled element or a small number of profiled elements. Typically, the separation of the profiled elements from the bundle is performed using manual labor that is time-consuming, physically exhausting to perform. A worker grasps one end of a profiled element and applies a sudden lateral movement in one direction, followed by a similarly sudden lateral movement in the other direction. This opposing set of lateral movements produces a whipping effect that helps loosen and separate the grasped profiled element from the other profiled elements. In addition to being physically exhausting, this set of movements is responsible for a classification of medical injuries known as repetitive motion injuries. Finally, it is common for workers to receive lacerations or contusions from the profiled elements, especially after the worker loses his grip on the profiled element during the lateral movements.
Profiled elements in the United States are sized and identified by the diameter of the profiled element, typically being measured in one eighth inch increments. For example, a #3 bar profiled element, or #3 bar, is three eighths of an inch in diameter, a #4 bar is one half an inch in diameter and a #5 bar is five eighths of an inch in diameter. Alternately, profiled elements can be referred to by their diameter in millimeters. Although the size of profiled elements commonly used can range from #3 bar to #18 bar, #4 bar and #5 bar sizes account for approximately one half of the profiled elements used in industry.
It has been found that as the diameter of the profiled element decreases, the amount of tangling between the profiled elements as bundled increases. Thus, many fabricators choose to use shorter bundle lengths of smaller diameter profiled elements (e.g., #3 and #4 bar profiled elements), such as 40 foot lengths, instead of longer bundle lengths, such as 60 foot lengths. While reducing bundle lengths decreases profile element tangling, material handling increases, since a greater number of profiled elements are required.
One solution to this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,046 issued to Saiki et al. is directed to an apparatus for extracting a single bar from a plurality of bars, the apparatus including a holding device for nipping the single bar. The holding device descends upon the plurality of bars on a receiving table to nip the single bar, which is then separated from the rest of the plurality of bars. However, due to the limited maximum payload per operation cycle, a single bar, the apparatus of Saiki is inefficient and time-consuming.
What is needed is a method and machine for selectably separating multiple profiled elements from a bundle of profiled elements, to minimize time associated with processing of profiled elements.